In much of the continent, Eid al-Fitr celebrations are observed as the holy Muslim month of Ramadan. Muslims all over the continent gathered to sight the new moon on Sunday which means Ramadan is over and Eid al-Fitr has begun. On Monday worshippers all over the world paraded to their various mosques to offer prayers. In many cities across Africa, the Eid al-Fitr celebration is regarded as a peaceful religious event celebrated by our Muslims. Come to think of it, some religions especially Christians join this celebration as part of fostering unity, peace, and harmony within the society. Perhaps most of the communities across Africa are made of residents originating from these two religions, either Christian or Muslim. In some parts of a community, one religion may be densely populated representing the majority in that area. The majority of Muslims believe in seeking a just and peaceful world. Very few Muslims found within a locality indulge in social misconduct which has led to negative stigmatization. Celebrations in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, were disrupted when security forces fired tear gas on crowds of Muslims who had gathered to observe the end of Ramadan inside a stadium. There were no casualties reported as Tens of thousands were attending Eid prayers in the city’s main stadium when violence broke out. Fortunately, tens of thousands of worshippers still managed to perform their prayers. This incident came after days of growing tension between Muslims and Christians in different parts of the country after 20 Muslims were killed while attending a funeral last week in the north. After the incident in Gondar city, there have been protests in several areas and retaliatory attacks including the burning of at least three churches in southern Ethiopia.
Monday’s violence in the capital is likely to escalate tensions. Images of people running away from tear gas and mothers desperately looking for their children in the chaos are being widely circulated on social media. Addis Ababa police blamed "a few individuals" for the violence and said the property had been damaged. They vowed to conduct a thorough investigation. The country is already divided by a civil war in the northern Tigray region and ethnic violence in many parts of the country.
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